AMUCT objects academic calendar being advanced, VC says it is govt order

AMUCT objects academic calendar being advanced, VC says it is govt order

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, June 11, 2017: Association of Mangalore University College Teachers (AMUCT) has objected to the revised academic calendar published by Mangalore University on its website on June 9. Terming the move unilateral and without any consultation with either the principals or lecturers, AMUCT said the revised academic calendar is error prone and unscientific. Against a previous decision to start the academic year on June 19, the university has advanced it by a week.

Ummappa Poojary, president of AMUCT said while the university has directed that academic year will start on June 12, actual classes will start on June 19. "This is a hitherto unchartered territory," he said, adding no other university in Karnataka follows such tradition. Lecturers are required to present in the colleges without any specific work to perform from June 12-17, he said adding many lecturers have just rejoined their families after valuation of papers from three weeks.

The revised calendar of events contains many mistakes, he said. Citing an example, he said the last date for admission to first semester is mentioned as July 16 Saturday, while it is actually a Sunday. Days of many other important events are wrongly mentioned. Most importantly it also does not contain the signature of the registrar. Keeping this in mind, it is imperative that university rescinds this revised academic time table and reverts to the earlier one, he said.

Referring to just concluded valuation, he said lecturers directed to appear for valuation duties faced a piquant situation with answer scripts not reaching designated valuation centres nor the scheme of valuation, in time. Lecturers had to return without any work on such days, he said adding the university must ensure there is no repeat. AMUCT at its executive committee meeting had resolved that valuation should start only after all processes related to it are in place, he noted.

K Byrappa, vice-chancellor, told media that move follows a decision taken by department of higher education to adopt common academic calendar across the state. Regarding mismatch of key-dates with their days, VC said he will ascertain reasons for the same. A key university functionary said the commissioner for collegiate education at a video-conferencing wanted all state universities to start from June 1. "However, we have pushed it back to June 12," the official said.